Crassicaulis middletonii:
Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) recently discovered a new flowering plant species — Crassicaulis middletonii.
- It is a new species of flowering plant.
- It was discovered in the evergreen forests of Arunachal Pradesh’s West Siang district.
- It marks the first-ever record of the genus Crassicaulis in India, extending its known range by more than 1,200 kilometres westward from China’s Yunnan province.
- It belongs to the Gesneriaceae family (commonly known for ornamental species like African violets).
- It grows up to 30 cm tall and thrives along stream banks near small waterfalls at about 800 metres elevation.
- Its leaf base, white flowers tinged with pink, capsule shape, greenish ovary, and calyx distinguish it from its only known relative, Crassicaulis guiliangii, found in Yunnan.
- It has been assessed as “Critically Endangered” under the IUCN Red List
